How Alitalia improves service quality through quality function deployment

Abstract

In today’s competitive markets “quality” is a business imperative rather than a luxury. Increasingly in many markets “quality” is the price of entry and in others a major source of competitive advantage. The ability to design a “services package” that consistently meets the customers’ requirements is an important element of a successful quality improvement strategy. The inherent nature of “service package” complicates the design problems. Quality function deployment (QFD) is a systematic technique for designing products or services that are based on customers’ requirements. QFD, although traditionally associated with the design of physical products, is equally applicable to service design. Examines how Alitalia’s experience suggests that the use of QFD techniques allows the development of a service package which effectively meets the key customers’ requirements. Presents recommendations and a framework for the specific use of QFD by service organizations, which if utilized should secure competitive advantage.